Discard the belief that external circumstances or acquiring material things will bring lasting happiness, recognizing this as a fundamental delusion that we all suffer from.
Actively search for your own personal meaning in life, understanding that external answers will likely seem nonsensical, and the process of questioning itself is more important than a universal answer.
Actively work to break the habit of constant internal monologue and uncontrolled thinking, aiming to live more in the present moment like a child, rather than being pulled into past regrets or future fantasies.
Make your own physical, mental, and spiritual health your absolute number one priority, even above happiness, family, and work, as this foundational focus enables all other pursuits.
Recognize that life is fundamentally a single-player game where true scorecards are internal, and focus on self-improvement and happiness rather than external, multiplayer competitive games.
Minimize your ego, condition your reactions, and lessen desires for specific outcomes, as these actions clear the way to see reality and truth more clearly.
Fully embrace and live in the present moment, recognizing that it is the only reality that exists, as the past is gone and the future is unpredictable.
Regularly examine your habits, questioning if they still serve you or if they are merely old patterns reinforced over time, to consciously decide which ones to keep or change.
Adopt a long-term perspective in all aspects of life, from relationships to business, and avoid those who engage in short-term thinking, as compound interest drives all significant benefits.
Stop trying to conform to others’ expectations and instead listen to your inner voice, allowing yourself to be authentically you, as your unique qualities are your greatest strength.
Approach success by focusing on eliminating what won’t work and avoiding incorrect judgments, rather than trying to predict what will work, acknowledging our fundamental ignorance of the future.
Focus on building systems that create environments where you are statistically likely to succeed, rather than fixating on specific goals, by using your judgment to identify optimal conditions for thriving.
Cultivate radical honesty by being yourself and avoiding environments where you feel the need to censor your thoughts, as incongruence between thought and speech creates mental threads that pull you out of the present.
Actively work to eliminate anger from your own emotional responses and distance yourself from angry people, recognizing that anger harms the person holding it.
Shift your definition of freedom from ‘freedom to’ do anything you want, to ‘freedom from’ negative reactions, anger, sadness, and external coercion, cultivating internal liberation.
Approach new ideas and philosophies with skepticism, testing them for yourself and retaining only what proves useful or verifiable, while discarding the rest.
Focus on thoroughly learning and repeatedly reviewing the fundamental basics across various fields, as life primarily involves applying these core principles, reserving advanced study for areas of true passion.
Make reading a daily habit, regardless of what you read, because consistent engagement with ideas and information will eventually lead you to content that dramatically improves your life.
Commit to a daily morning workout as a non-negotiable start to your day, ensuring it happens regardless of external pressures or perceived urgency, as your health is paramount.
Practice observing your mental state, perhaps through meditation, to recognize how often your mind is out of control, which is the first step towards gaining internal control and liberation.
Deliberately seek out experiences, states of mind, locations, and activities that help you get out of your own head and reduce the constant internal monologue.
Practice observing your internal monologue and thoughts as if in ‘debugging mode,’ questioning why you are thinking certain things (e.g., fantasy future planning) and if they are necessary in that moment.
Regularly ask yourself if you truly need to solve a problem at the exact moment your brain brings it up, as most thoughts don’t require immediate action and can lead to wasted energy.
Develop the ability to singularly focus on the task at hand, as this presence and immersion lead to greater happiness and effectiveness.
When faced with anger or an unhappy situation, delay your response for 24 hours to allow emotions and hormones to subside, enabling a calmer and more rational reaction.
Overcome jealousy by realizing you cannot cherry-pick aspects of someone else’s life; if you’re unwilling to completely swap identities with them, then there’s no point in being jealous.
Understand that serious internal work, such as pursuing enlightenment or internal happiness, is a solitary endeavor and not something achieved through group activities or social affirmation.
Refrain from strong self-identification with labels or ideologies, as it can lead to defending unexamined positions and prevent you from seeing the truth.
Be wary of future-oriented delusions that promise salvation or a perfect future, as they can distract you from living in and appreciating the present moment, potentially destroying your happiness.
Reduce reliance on rote memorization for facts easily accessible via Google and smartphones, focusing instead on deeper understanding and principles.
Utilize the internet as an abundant and infinite resource for learning, as everything you desire to learn is available online.
Choose reading material (books, blogs, Twitter) that genuinely excites you, as this enthusiasm will make it easier to maintain a consistent reading habit.
Skim through many books, jump around, and read only the interesting parts without guilt, viewing them as archives from which to extract relevant information as needed, rather than feeling obligated to finish them.
Focus on rereading a select number of ‘great books’ that resonate with you to deeply absorb their content, rather than trying to read every new book.
Consider spending money on books an investment, not an expense, as a good book can change your life in a meaningful way.
Read a diverse range of materials, including what others might consider ‘junk’ or reprehensible, without concern for social approval, to broaden your perspective and challenge your mind.
Avoid reading only what is popular or what ’the herd’ is reading, as this leads to average thinking; instead, seek out diverse and contrarian material for unique insights.
Cultivate contrarianism in your learning choices, prioritizing what genuinely interests you over seeking social approval, as being ‘out of the herd’ is where significant returns in life are found.
Embrace the mindset of an outsider or ’loser’ who is not seeking social acceptance, as this freedom from conformity allows you to pursue your own path and increases the likelihood of finding unique success.
Avoid clinging to memories, regrets, or past experiences, as comparing them to the present often leads to unhappiness and distracts from the current moment.
Practice distilling fundamental insights or concepts into concise aphorisms, using platforms like Twitter, to clarify your thinking and share knowledge efficiently.
Don’t hesitate to drop a book or skip ahead if it doesn’t capture your attention within the first chapter, as there are countless other valuable books available.
Put down books where the author makes statements that are fundamentally untrue or based on delusion, as filling your mind with such content makes it difficult to discern truth from fiction.
Focus on improving your decision-making to be more right and rational, as this skill yields nonlinear returns and significant advantages in life.
Actively learn and internalize a wide array of mental models from fields like evolution, game theory, and thinkers like Charlie Munger, to improve your decision-making and prediction capabilities.
Create robust systems in your life that ensure consistent positive outcomes and minimize failures across various aspects, aiming for a high probability of success in your chosen metrics.
Adopt an investment strategy that involves reviewing a vast number of opportunities, making many small bets, and retaining the option to significantly increase investment in the few clear winners, rather than making concentrated bets early on.
Discover the people, businesses, projects, or art that uniquely need your specific knowledge, capabilities, and desires, as there is something out there perfectly suited for you.
Apply a strict filter for close relationships, requiring that others’ values align strongly with your own, as shared values are fundamental for strong connections.
To attract a worthy partner or achieve desired outcomes, first focus on cultivating the qualities and values within yourself that make you worthy of them.
Embrace short-term sacrifices for ethical behavior, recognizing that while integrity may not be immediately profitable, it yields significant long-term benefits in self-respect and relationships.
Choose to make difficult decisions and sacrifices in the present (e.g., healthy eating, working out) to ensure an easier and healthier life in the long run.
Test your understanding of a concept by attempting to explain it simply enough for a child to grasp; if you cannot, it indicates a lack of true comprehension.
Ensure your communication is clear and understandable to your audience, avoiding the deliberate use of complex vocabulary to show off, as this is a form of dishonesty.
View moments of suffering or pain as opportunities to confront and embrace reality as it truly is, enabling meaningful change and progress by starting from a foundation of truth.
Recognize that a strong desire for a specific outcome can blind you to the truth of a situation, making it harder to make effective decisions.
Publicly acknowledge when things are not going well, especially to co-workers and friends, to prevent self-delusion and ensure you confront the reality of the situation.
Choose work you deeply love and commit to it for the long haul, understanding its difficulties but remaining undeterred by passion, as this is characteristic of successful founders.
Find enjoyment in the process and journey of your endeavors, as there is no guarantee of a specific outcome, and the journey itself is the reward.
Cultivate a deep, contrarian understanding of your field, combine it with profound passion to sustain effort, and develop strong execution skills to effectively solve problems and get things done.
Recognize that highly capable and dedicated individuals consistently achieve great outcomes over a long enough timescale, so exercise patience when observing their progress.
Before committing to anything, write it down and revisit it with a clear mind 48 hours later to confirm if you genuinely want to commit, preventing over-scheduling.
Adopt the rule that if you are not willing to start or commit to an action immediately, then you should not commit to it at all, to avoid future over-commitment.
Pursue self-actualization and do what you feel compelled to do, but do not expect external achievements to bring everlasting peace, joy, or happiness, as this is a common delusion.
Prioritize micro-level change, starting with yourself, then your family and neighbors, before engaging in abstract concepts of macro-level world improvement.
Break away from traditional ideas of 40-80 hour work weeks, 9-to-5 schedules, fixed roles, jobs, or identities, as these can feel like a straitjacket and hinder productivity and happiness.
Select social environments and friends where you don’t feel the need to consume alcohol or stun your brain into submission to enjoy the company.
Establish a daily morning workout to serve as a self-checkpoint, making it easier to notice and reduce negative behaviors like excessive drinking due to immediate physical consequences.
Prioritize relationships and work that you envision lasting a lifetime and offering long-term payouts, rather than fleeting interactions or projects.
Only engage in peer relationships where you can treat others as equals and be treated as such, avoiding hierarchical interactions.
Avoid dishonesty with others, as it inevitably leads to lying to yourself, believing your own falsehoods, and becoming disconnected from reality.
When offering feedback, praise individuals for specific actions or achievements, but generalize criticism to approaches or classes of activities rather than targeting a person directly, to avoid ego clashes.
Approach life’s events and decisions with less emotion and anger, recognizing that outcomes are often beyond your control and your interpretation largely shapes your experience.